Improvement in mo



D. K. & J. K. HARRIS.

Mowing Machine.

Patented Nov. 6, 1849.

l/VVE'I 93 mi/2f fw UNITED STATES PATENT Grates.

. D. K. HARRIS AND J. K. HARRIS, OF ALLENSVILLE, INDIANA.

IMPROVEMENT IN MQWING-MACHINES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 6,846, dated November6, 1849.

To all whom itmay concern:

Be it known that we, DANIEL K. HARRIS and JOHN K. HARRIS, ofAllensville, in the county of Switzerland and State of Indiana, haveinvented a new and useful Machine for blowing or Cutting Grass, 850., byHorse-Power; and we do hereby declare that the following is a full,clear, and exact description of the construction and operation of thesame, reference being bad to the annexed drawings, making a part of thisspecification, in which Figure B represents a top view of the wholemachine.

Number 2 is a combination of knives. This construction shows acombination of these blades or knives by placing them side by sidewithin shoulders between two iron bars, 0 (I, being held firm in thiscombination by screws passing through both bars and each bladeaforesaid. Any one of these blades or knives may be taken out atpleasure for the purpose ofsharpening or otherwise. The edges of theseknives meet at a short distance before they enter the iron bars c d.Each of these blades or knives has a sharp edge on both sides, andtapers from where they meet, before they enter the iron bars, to almosta point. so constructed as to guide and protect itself by means of arib, forming a part of the under surface and extending along the centerto nearly the point of the blade. From each side of this rib or runnerthe blade is ground 011' to a keen edge, while the upper or top surfaceis a little concave, causing the side of the blade to turn up a littleat the edge and point, thus increasing the strength of the blade andcansing the edge to cut to the best advantage.

0 dare two iron bars placed one directly above the other, and betweenwhich the blades 2 2, &c., are fitted and held firm by the screwsaforesaid, the end of the rib on the under surface of each blade forminga shoulder and fitting against the lower bar.

E represents handles of the frame E F, as seen in side view A. Thehandles are continued horizontally in the form of a runner (E F being apart thereof) to the points of the blades, where they turn up at nearlyright angles to connect with the upper frame, 5, by a mortise orguide-slot, 4, by means of which the frame 5 or thills 6 may rise orfall a certain distance without elevating or depressing the blades. Thelower bar, 0 d, is firmly attached Each knife is at both ends to thesaid handles at the frame E F, on the inside of which handles, wherethey are continued horizontally and on a level with the upper surface ofthe lower bar, 0 d, grooves are cut to receive the two outside blades,which are made straight and thick on one side to fit the grooves, andsharp on the otherside.

5 5 5 is the upper frame, as seen side view A. This frame is composed oftwo side pieces connected at both ends by ties, as seen in Fig. B. Theseside pieces project, in the shape or form of legs, downward and areconnected to the lower frame, E F, by joints at '7, directly oppositethe ends of the bars 0 d. 6 6 are two shafts or thills into which thehorse is hitched. They are permanently attached to the upper frame, 5; 88 8, a reel or revolving rake with any convenient number of parallelrotary arms connected at the ends to spokes passing into the axle 8 Onthe outside of these rotary arms a number of teeth or pins are inserted.The axle of the reel plays in two horizontal mortises let in from thetop of the two side pieces of the upper frame, 5, in such manner thatthe said axle may he slid forward, as occasion may require, for thepurpose of tightening the band 1.0, which connects it to thedriving-wheel 12. On one end of this axle a small drum-wheel, 9, isattached to the side of rake. This reel is made to revolve by band orother gearing, 10, connected to the drum attached to the driving-wheel12. The axle of wheel 12 plays in two mortises cut in the legs of theupper frame, 5, in the form of a segment of a circle, with a radiusequal to the distance of these mortises from the axle of the rec], andwith the center in the mortises in which this axle (the axle of thereel) plays. Outhc outside of the driving-wheel 12 (the driving-wheel 12has teeth or spikes all round the 'rim) a drum-wheel, 11, is attached toreceive the band 10, which passes around the small drum 9, attachedtothe axle of the rake-reel. The circular form of the mortise in whichthe axle of the driving-wheel 12 plays admits the wheel to rise and fallwithout affecting the gearing-band or the frame containing the knives.The points of the blades or knives may also be elevated or depressed bymeans of the handles E, as occasion may require, without affecting themotion of the driving-wheel or the revolution of the reel or revolvingrake.

8 8 8 8 are arms or spokes of the rotary arms or rakes 8 8 8 8.

The principal design of the reel or revolving rake is, first, to gatherthe grass or other substance and bend the spears back over the edge ofthe blades while they are advancing forward, the teeth or pins passingdown through the bent spears and holding them firm and even against theslant edge of the advancing knives until the spears of grass are out,after which they are thrown back and scattered evenly over the ground tocure.

The machine is propelled by horse-power, the draft of the horse beingtransmitted from the upper frame, 5, to the lower frame, E F, by meansof the two legs of said upper frame, 5, working in joints, connectingboth the upper and lower frames near the ground, on a level allowingthewheel or thills,or both to rise and fall without elevatingor depressingthe blades.

DANIEL K. HARRIS. JOHN K. HARRIS.

XVitnesses:

WILLIAM FISHER, PHILANDER S. SAGE.

